


Disclosure

by welcometothefangirlparade



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Fire Nation, Southern Water Tribe, Zutara, how zuko got his scar, plus more Katara backstory, zuko and katara, zutara fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-30 02:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11454249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welcometothefangirlparade/pseuds/welcometothefangirlparade
Summary: Set somewhere after the Southern Raiders and before Sozin's comet part 2.Zutara Fluff





	Disclosure

Katara jolted awake at the sound of a loud crack from the Fire before her. It was early, and the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. Glancing to her right, she noticed the empty bedroll a few feet away. Her eyes wandered until they fell upon a silhouette of a boy, sitting at the edge of the river bank. _Zuko_.

As quietly as she could, to make sure she wouldn't wake the others, she made her way over the the former prince's side.

As she approached the firebender, he made little acknowledgment of her presence. He glanced at her for a moment, before turning his head back to the water, glowing with shades of pinks and oranges from the sunrise.

"What are you doing up so early," she asked, sitting down next to him.

"I'm a firebender," he mumbled, his voice low and raspy. "I rise with the sun."

She knew that wasn't it. "Something's bothering you," she said, following Zuko's gaze towards the horizon. "We can talk about-"

"It's nothing," he interrupted quickly. "I'm just — thinking."

She sigh. He was just as stubborn as her, if he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't.

A long silence grew between them, as the two sat and watched the sun rise. It was beautiful though, Katara had to admit. It was the first time she'd had ever seen a sight like this. Before then, she had never woken up early enough to see it.

She looked over at the boy who sat in silence next to her. He had closed his eyes, seemingly in a daydream. Katara stared at the scarred flesh around Zuko's eye, that covered most of that side of his face.

"I would have done it, you know," she spoke up quietly.

He shifted. "Done what?"

"Your scar," she continued. "I would have healed it, or at least tried to."

"I wouldn't have deserved it."

"If you had the chance to get rid of it, would you?"

"I don't know," he responded, looking away. "I don't know."

His voice faltered. "It's not just something I can get rid of. Even with spirit water. A scar is a scar. You can't heal something that's already been healed."

Katara brought her hand up to his face, letting her fingers run over the rough skin. She felt Zuko tense, but he didn't object. He closed his eyes, and Katara was reminded of the crystal catacombs. Only this time, instead of the enemy, it was a friend she was with.

"What happened?"

"It's not something I want to talk about," Zuko growled, turning away hastily.

"Sorry!" She pulled her hand back. "Sorry I didn't mean-"

He shook his head, sighing. "No, it's fine, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. I just, it's not a point in my life I like to be reminded of."

Katara was taken aback by his apology. Never once did she dream that the hot headed prince would give a sincere apology. She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it, and let silence take over the morning once again.

"It was my father," The Fire Nation prince's voice broke through her thoughts.

"What?"

"It was my father who gave me this scar."

It took a moment to process. Just minutes ago he'd basically told her to mind her own business. "I though you didn't want to talk about it."

He swallowed. "Someone might as well know," he said, defeat lacing his voice.

"You don't have to," she whispered. "I never should have brought it up-"

"No," he cut her off. "No, it's something I should have told you guys a while ago. You deserve to know the truth."

Katara said nothing. Maybe it was the shock, or maybe it was her curiosity, but she looked at the boy, who stared at the water.

"It was three years ago. I was thirteen, and it was my very first war meeting," he began, his eyes never leaving the longing gaze at the river. "My father's generals were going to use innocent warriors, innocent people as bait so the more trained troops could attack. I shouldn't have spoken, but I did. I hated the plan, it was unfair, and cruel. It was betrayal.

My father called my outburst disrespect. Towards him and the general. To be disciplined I was challenged to an Agni Kai. It wasn't the general I had to fight, like I had though. It was my father. My father, a man I was supposed to look up to, who challenged a thirteen year old boy to an Agni Kai. It was his War Council I had spoken out of turn in, and therefore it was him I would have to face as punishment for my disrespectful actions."

Zuko took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. Katara felt a lump form in her throat.

"I refused to fight," he continued weakly, his voice cracking slightly. "It was my father, I couldn't. I begged for mercy, and I only meant to show that I had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart, but he called me weak for not standing up to fight. He said I needed to fight to get my honor back, but I still refused.

He said that I needed to learn respect, and that suffering would be my teacher. He shot the fire right at my face, without a hint hesitation. And then he banished me to the sea. The only way I could regain my honor was if I found the avatar and brought him to his feet."

Guilt washed over Katara, as she looked on at the boy's face. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, genuinely. "I always thought you wanted the avatar to prevent him from stopping the war. I never knew—I had no idea."

"For so long, I tried to find him. I thought that I wanted honor, when I really just wanted my father to love me and see me as his son," Zuko said. "He told me that Azula was born lucky, and that I was only lucky to be born. I just wanted to have his acceptance, and to know that I had done at least one thing right in his eyes."

"I used to feel the same way," Katara murmured. "For the longest time, women were always seen as weak in the Southern Water Tribe. For so long I wanted to change that. I wanted to show that I could be strong. My mom wanted the same thing. She was the bravest person I knew, and then she was taken away from me. Because of me. she was only trying to protect me."

For the first time since they'd been there, Zuko met her eyes.

"Ever since then, i tried to prove that I was just as strong as anyone else. I took my mother's position and tried to help everyone as much as I could. I did everything that she would have been proud of, but nothing seemed to be enough for my father. He loved me, and I loved him, but he didn't see me as a warrior. He treated me like I was this fragile girl who needed protection all the time. He only saw me as a helpless little girl. The helpless little waterbender, who was the reason why her mom was killed." 

Katara let a tear slip down her cheek, but made no effort to wipe it away.

"That's why I went with Aang. I wanted to show that I could do something worthwhile, even if I wasn't a man. I wanted to prove that I could be brave and I could be a warrior, even if I was just a girl. I didn't want people to think I couldn't protect myself, or that I was completely helpless and feeble."

A gentle hand touched her face, and Katara looked up in surprise. Zuko wiped the tears off her face, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You've done a lot more than just prove yourself. You've changed a lot of lives for the better. That much I know."

Never in a million years would she believe that the Fire Nation prince had a heart. Never did she believe that he could be so understanding, not until today. She smiled. "Thanks, Zuko. You're not who I thought you were."

"I wanted my father's love, when I didn't need it. I already had my Uncle's, and he was more of a father to me than my own dad."

"Where is your Uncle?"

Zuko tensed again. "I don't know," he responded. "All I know is that he cared for me like his own son, and I really let him down. I don't want my honor back, I don't want my throne back. Now I just want his forgiveness, and that's something I don't deserve. He loved me, and all I did was repay him with a knife in his back."

"Zuko, when we went on that trip to face Yon Ra, you showed me that forgiveness was achieveable. I forgave you even after I thought I couldn't. If your uncle could see the man you've become, he would be proud, and he'd forgive you."

"Toph said the same thing," he muttered. "But thank you, Katara."

Something about him made Katara smile. He was right, she had changed a lot of lives, but not as much as he had changed hers.


End file.
